Red Roses wing Lydia Thompson speaks of the mental anguish she has suffered since November’s World Cup final defeat to New Zealand, during which the 31-year-old was red carded for a high tackle, feeling “complete blame” for the loss: “You can’t believe you can get that low. But you do”
Last Updated: 15/03/23 1:33pm
England wing Lydia Thompson has spoken about living with ‘complete blame’ for the Red Roses World Cup final loss
Lydia Thompson says she has been living with “complete blame” for England’s Rugby World Cup final defeat to New Zealand in November, holding back tears recounting her 18th-minute red card.
England faced hosts the Black Ferns in the final as massive favourites, having comfortably defeated all their rivals in the lead-up, but Thompson’s red card in the 18th minute for a high tackle on New Zealand’s Portia Woodman changed the complexion of the Test, with the Red Roses ultimately falling to a heart-breaking 34-31 defeat.
Four months on, Thompson spoke of the anguish she has felt since that day at Eden Park, and gave an insight into the mental torment she has suffered.
“Those multiple thoughts keep flooding you like: letting the team down, obviously it made their day a lot harder. A complete blame for the loss of the World Cup,” Thompson told ITV.
“You kind of can’t believe you can get that low. But you do.
Thompson was red carded in the 18th minute of the final for a head-on-head high tackle on New …